The Netherlands is moving to develop a high-energy laser prototype into a deployable counter-drone weapon, signing a Letter of Intent with Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Minister of State for Defense Derk Boswijk signed the agreement this week. The two parties are expected to further develop EOS' Apollo High Energy Laser Weapon System and explore establishing a manufacturing facility in the Netherlands, supported by a Dutch-led European supply chain. In principle, EOS plans to carry out development and production there, potentially making the Netherlands its European hub. If the development is successful, Dutch Defense plans to purchase several systems. The program is linked to a €71.4 million EOS export contract for a 100kW class laser system. Apollo uses a concentrated laser beam to damage or destroy drones and is designed for repeated engagements without conventional ammunition. EOS says the system can attack more than 20 Group 1 drones per minute with effectively unlimited shots when connected to an external power source. The technology is intended to be a mobile air defense capability that could potentially be integrated into military vehicles to protect soldiers against air threats. Lasers can reduce munitions and logistics demands compared to missile-based systems, but their effectiveness remains dependent on factors such as power, cooling, atmospheric conditions, line-of-sight and target characteristics. The United States is developing several high-energy laser programs, including RTX's High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) and Lockheed Martin's ATHENA/IFPC-HEL. The Pentagon also selected five local military bases for its directed-energy counter-drone pilot program. Israel is accelerating the deployment of Rafael's Iron Beam, a 100kW class system designed to complement the Iron Dome against rockets, mortars, artillery and UAVs. There are field-tested systems in Türkiye, including ASELSAN's ALKA and GÖKBERK. China has developed systems such as Silent Hunter and LY-1 as it expands counter-drone laser production and exports. In India, DRDO's 30kW Mark-II(A) laser has completed military trials and is moving towards industrial production alongside long-term plans for higher power systems. As the UK progresses its DragonFire program, Germany's Rheinmetall demonstrated 100kW class laser systems on Boxer armored vehicles and naval platforms. China may be developing a high-energy laser system for its next-generation fighter jet, after the AVIC research institute demonstrated a "fighter laser weapon tracking and targeting system" at a defense exhibition in Beijing in September. AeroVironment (AV) announced that it received a $464.8 million contract from the United States Russia has tested a laser-equipped version of the Kurier unmanned ground robot system, designed to remotely defuse mines, grenades and other explosive munitions by burning their casings and igniting the explosives inside. The system was... Netherlands Moves to Develop Laser Weapon for Drone Defense with Australia's EOS Company Germany Approves Defense Package Including AMRAAM Missiles, Maritime IRIS-T for F-35 Jets US Navy Opens Robotics and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center First Collaborative Warfighter Arrives at Creech, Advancing U.S. Air Force Integration... A month after the US and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran on February 28, the conflict has escalated further... Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), despite being increasingly vulnerable, have shown their mettle in recent conflicts such as Ukraine... European countries looking to procure new air defense systems appear to be missing out on the much-vaunted American Patriot... Defense Mirror spoke to the crew of the Russian T-90MS main battle tank produced by UralVagonZavod China aims to disrupt the global stealth fighter market by mass producing the fifth-generation J-35A at a speed comparable to the world.

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